Denard Span, Adam LaRoche and Ian Desmond all joined Rendon with two hits and an RBI for the Nationals, who won for the eighth time when behind entering the seventh inning. The late outburst made a winner of Aaron Barrett (3-0), who recorded the final out in the top of the frame, and Rafael Soriano struck out George Springer to strand the tying run in the ninth and notch his 15th save.

Matt Dominguez had a two-run single, Jose Altuve added two hits and Jason Castro and Jonathan Villar each drove in a run for the Astros, who have lost four of five. Darin Downs (1-1) was charged with the loss after McLouth's deep fly ball to left field against Kyle Farnsworth scored Ryan Zimmerman.

The Nationals took the lead on LaRoche's sacrifice fly in the first and Desmond recorded an RBI single in the third before Houston starter Scott Feldman settled in, working five innings without any further damage. The Astros got to Gio Gonzalez, making his return from the disabled list, for four runs in the fourth on Dominguez's two-run single, Castro's run-scoring double and Villar's sacrifice fly, but the bullpen couldn't hold the lead.

Span delivered an RBI double in the sixth to cut the deficit to 4-3 and Houston added a run on a wild pitch in the seventh before Washington's big inning. Rendon led off the frame against Josh Zeid with his 10th homer, Jayson Werth drew a walk and scored the tying run on Zimmerman's fielder's choice and McLouth hit a fly ball down the left-field line to push across the winning tally.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The Nationals recorded a season-high five stolen bases, including three in the first inning. … Rendon, a Houston native, is 9-for-19 with four doubles, two homers and seven RBIs in four games against the Astros. … Altuve increased his major league-leading hit total to 96, recording the 500th and 501st of his career.